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W Krause

Publications and source records attributed to W Krause.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Cellular and biochemical markers in semen indicating male accessory gland inflammation.

Leucocytospermia is considered to be a sign of male accessory gland inflammation. The leucocytes in semen are mainly polymorphonuclear neutrophilic granulocytes. Leucocytospermia is not associated with the presence of bacteria and antibiotic treatment does not significantly lower the extent of leucocytospermia. A higher frequency of elevated herpes simplex antibodies titres were found in men with leucocytospermia. The concentration of inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 and -8, is closely correlated with the number of leucocytes. Their determination does not provide additional information. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated at least in part by seminal leucocytes in response to stimulating factors. Purified leucocytes produce high levels of ROS. The determination of ROS appears to represent a parameter of functional activity of leucocytes. The role of chlamydiae in male accessory gland infection is unclear. Their determination in semen by DNA amplification and by immunological tests does not provide reliable results.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed2002

[Inhibin B as a marker of spermatogenesis. A new dimension in andrology].

In 1932, McCullagh postulated the existence of a specific hormone of the testis, regulating FSH secretion. He named this hormone inhibin. As we know today, several proteins of the inhibin family are produced in the Sertoli cells. The major product is inhibin B, consisting of a alpha- and a beta-subunit. It is also present in spermatogonia, spermatocytes and early spermatids. The serum levels of inhibin B increase in puberty. In the adult man they are correlated positively to sperm count and testis volume, but negatively to FSH levels. These correlations exist also in OAT syndrome independent of the cause of spermatogenic failure. In azoospermia high serum levels of inhibin B predict the existence of spermatozoa in the testis. This improves the prediction of the success of a TESE. It may be that the determination of inhibin B is superior to that of FSH.

Humans↗
PubMed2002

Causes of sexual decline in aging married men: Germany and America.

Married men in Germany (n=48) and America (n=50) between 50 and 80 years old, none in poor health, provided comparable information on sexual behavior and attitudes, and gave saliva samples from which testosterone was assayed. Sexuality declines with age, as expected. Neither testosterone nor psychological depression explain levels of sexuality. In both nations, wife's desire for intercourse, subject's ability to maintain an erection, and subject's imagination about other women, explain certain aspects of sexuality. Subject's health and marital satisfaction are related to sexuality among Americans but not among Germans. Behavioral models for the two nations are compared.

Coitus↗
PubMed2002

Are viral infections the cause of leukocytospermia?

Leukocytospermia is defined as a leukocyte count of more than 1 x 106 ml-1 ejaculate. It may be a symptom of male accessory gland infection, but is also observed in up to 10% of asymptomatic patients presenting for infertility work-up. Pathogenic bacteria are not present in all of these semen samples. We attempted to find evidence for infection with cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus and herpes simplex virus by determining antibodies in serum in 130 patients with, and 80 patients without, leukocytospermia and by polymerase chain reaction in 50 further patients and controls. All semen samples with or without leukocytospermia were free from clinically significant concentrations of pathogenic bacteria. Only IgM antibodies against HSV were found more frequently in patients with leukocytospermia than in the controls (10.8 and 1.25%, respectively). All other virus antibody findings showed an equal frequency in both groups. The determination of HSV DNA in 50 further semen samples with, and 50 samples without, leukocytospermia revealed no positive results. Although our study indicates an association of herpes virus infection and leukocytospermia in 10% of cases, the mechanism of association is to be clarified.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed2002

Does treatment of varicocele improve male fertility? results of the 'Deutsche Varikozelenstudie', a multicentre study of 14 collaborating centres.

Treatment of varicocele is suggested in infertile men if sperm parameter values are abnormal. The effectiveness of the treatment with respect to fertility remains to be clarified. A multicentre, prospective randomized study on varicocele treatment in infertile men to demonstrate the superiority of sclerotization of the varicocele in preventing persistence, was started in 1995 with the collaboration of 15 German andrological centres. The primary endpoint was the incidence of pregnancy 1 year after randomisation. The number of cases needed to achieve the goal of the study was calculated at 460. However, three years after starting the study, only 67 patients had been randomized. Different reasons contributed to the poor recruitment. There was no significant increase in pregnancy rate in the treated group, compared to the controls, the confidence interval being 20.8% to 15.7%. The authors would like to encourage further collaborative study groups to start another prospective, randomized study with the aim of avoiding the costs and risks of varicocele treatment when its success remains unclear.

Female↗
PubMed2002

Computer-assisted analysis of sperm morphology with the aid of lectin staining.

Lectins are useful for staining the acrosome, which is a pre-requisite for the assessment of acrosome reaction in vitro. We tested wheat germ agglutinin, peanut agglutinin and pisum sativum agglutinin. The determination of the categories of normal and abnormal spermatozoa as defined by the World Health Organization, including an additional category 'acrosome-less cell', was performed with the aid of a system of computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) in comparison with visual estimation. The acrosome reaction in vitro was induced by calcium ionophore A23187. Incubation with A23187 decreased the percentage of normal sperm heads and increased the number of acrosome-less sperm heads in comparison with the control samples. This shift was demonstrable with all three lectin staining procedures. No significant differences were observed in the comparison of sperm classes obtained by visual assessment or determination by CASA with two of the lectin staining procedures. After staining with pisum sativum agglutinin the classes of normal and of acrosome-less spermatozoa were significantly different between visual and CASA estimation. Our results indicate that estimation of the acrosomal status in vitro is possible by CASA when lectin staining is used.

Agglutinins↗
PubMed2002

High frequency of DAZ1/DAZ2 gene deletions in patients with severe oligozoospermia.

Deletions of the DAZ gene family in distal Yq11 are always associated with deletions of the azoospermia factor c (AZFc) region, which we now estimate extends to 4.94 Mb. Because more Y gene families are located in this chromosomal region, and are expressed like the DAZ gene family only in the male germ line, the testicular pathology associated with complete AZFc deletions cannot predict the functional contribution of the DAZ gene family to human spermatogenesis. We therefore established a DAZ gene copy specific deletion analysis based on the DAZ-BAC sequences in GenBank. It includes the deletion analysis of eight DAZ-DNA PCR markers [six DAZ-single nucleotide varients (SNVs) and two DAZ-sequence tag sites (STS)] selected from the 5' to the 3'end of each DAZ gene and a deletion analysis of the gene copy specific EcoRV and TaqI restriction fragments identified in the internal repetitive DAZ gene regions (DYS1 locus). With these diagnostic tools, 63 DNA samples from men with idiopathic oligozoospermia and 107 DNA samples from men with proven fertility were analysed for the presence of the complete DAZ gene locus, encompassing the four DAZ gene copies. In five oligozoospermic patients, we found a DAZ-SNV/STS and DYS1/EcoRV and TaqI fragment deletion pattern indicative for deletion of the DAZ1 and DAZ2 gene copies; one of these deletions could be identified as a 'de-novo' deletion because it was absent in the DAZ locus of the patient's father. The same DAZ deletions were not found in any of the 107 fertile control samples. We therefore conclude that the deletion of the DAZ1/DAZ2 gene doublet in five out of our 63 oligozoospermic patients (8%) is responsible for the patients' reduced sperm numbers. It is most likely caused by intrachromosomal recombination events between two long repetitive sequence blocks (AZFc-Rep1) flanking the DAZ gene structures.

Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial↗
PubMed2002

Use of near-infrared reflection spectroscopy to study the effects of X-ray contrast media on renal tolerance in rats: effects of a prostacyclin analogue and of phosphodiesterase inhibitors.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Use of near-infrared reflection spectroscopy (NIR-RS) as a new model to assess renal tolerance of contrast agents and determination of the effects of a prostacyclin analogue and of two phosphodiesterase inhibitors on renal tolerance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NIR-RS was used to measure total hemoglobin, oxygenated hemoglobin and tissue oxygen saturation in the renal cortex of rats and the effect of diatrizoate, iopromide and iotrolan injected at 1 g iodine/kg alone or together with the prostacyclin derivative, iloprost, or the phosphodiesterase inhibitors, rolipram and mesopram, on these parameters. RESULTS: Injection of the contrast media alone resulted in a 10% to 35% depression of total hemoglobin, oxygenated hemoglobin, and tissue oxygen saturation approximately 40 to 100 seconds after administration, whereas saline showed no effect and mannitol solution only a minor effect. Coadministration of iloprost or pretreatment with the phosphodiesterase inhibitors, rolipram or mesopram, significantly attenuated the contrast media-induced effects. CONCLUSION: NIR-RS might be useful for the determination of contrast media-induced side effects. Stable prostacyclin analogues or phosphodiesterase inhibitors have the potential to mitigate these side effects.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Measurement of steroid levels in saliva in a population-based survey of lifestyle, medical conditions, marriage, sex life and hormone status in aging men: a feasibility study.

Some population-based studies on male aging measure testosterone and cortisol in saliva instead of serum, but very few measure estradiol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), suggesting further testing is needed for reliability and comparative validity. In addition, the effects of interview stress and circadian hormone secretion need to be checked. In a pilot study on the overall sexual capacity of aging men, 48 randomly selected, healthy, heterosexual, cohabiting men aged 50-80 years, from Mannheim, Germany, and 50 from the State College, Pennsylvania, USA, were administered a standardized interview covering medical biography, present and previous life and work, marriage and emotional status. Two saliva samples were collected from each subject for measurement of testosterone, cortisol, estradiol and DHEA-S levels before and after the interview, and each subject completed a confidential self-administered questionnaire on intercourse, masturbation, orgasm, fantasies, libido and arousal. Questionnaires, hormone measurement techniques and the survey protocol had been extensively pretested. Prior to the pilot study, the kits for measuring testosterone and DHEA-S in saliva were checked for comparative validity against established measuring techniques in serum in 31 cases for testosterone and in 24 different cases for DHEA-S. These 55 cases underwent clinical diagnosis and were not otherwise involved in this study. The cases had been referred to the Andrology Unit of the University Hospital, Marburg, for reasons unrelated to this study. Given the biological differences for both steroids between their presence in blood and in saliva, a perfect correspondence between the two values was not expected and was not observed. The correlations obtained, however, support the assumption that all statistical relationships between testosterone and DHEA-S values in serum and clinical, as well as behavioral, variables reported to date may be replicated for testosterone and DHEA-S values in saliva.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Deficits in haptic perception and right parietal theta power changes in patients with anorexia nervosa before and after weight gain.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to investigate whether patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) show deficits in haptic exploration tasks before and after weight gain. METHOD: The haptic exploration tasks consisted of palpating the structure of six sunken reliefs in sequence with both hands, eyes closed. After each exploration, the structure was reproduced on a piece of paper. A 19-channel digital electroencephalogram (EEG; linked ears) was continuously recorded during rest and haptic tasks for 10 AN patients (females, mean age: 15.90) and 10 healthy controls (CO; females, mean age: 16.14). Mean spectral power density was calculated as the mean amplitude of the spectral lines of the theta band (4-8 Hz). The AN patients were examined again after weight gain (T(0) and T(1)). RESULTS: The reproductions submitted by the AN patients were of notably poorer quality than those of the CO. Reproduction quality was unchanged after weight gain and independent of body mass index and intelligence. Mean exploration time was similiar in AN patients and CO. The analysis of spectral EEG power of both groups showed significant decrease in power data in the theta frequency band during haptic exploration compared with the rest intervals. The comparison of the theta power between CO and AN patients during haptic exploration showed major differences between the groups in both T(0) and T(1). Theta power was lower in AN patients than in the CO over the right hemisphere and right parietal regions. DISCUSSION: The quality of reproduction of the haptic stimuli and the theta-power changes indicate a cortical dysfunction and deficits in somatosensory integration processing of the right parietal cortex in AN patients even after weight gain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Influence of antisperm antibodies on the acrosome reaction as determined by flow cytometry.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of antisperm antibodies on the acrosome reaction (AR). DESIGN: Clinical study. SETTING: University of Marburg, Department of Andrology, Clinical Training Center of the European Academy of Andrology. PATIENT(S): Spermatozoa from a pool of healthy donors were incubated with 30 seminal plasma samples from infertile men containing antisperm antibodies; they were compared to a control group of 10 samples without antisperm antibodies and five samples with buffer only. INTERVENTION(S): The spontaneous acrosome reaction (SAR) and the induced acrosome reaction (IAR) by calcium ionophore A23187 were observed and determined by means of a flow cytometer. Flow cytometric double-staining estimates of acrosomal integrity were determined by using a monoclonal antibody (TUS 19), marked with a secondary fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled antibody. Cell viability was determined by counterstaining with propidium iodide (PI). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Number of acrosome reacted spermatozoa. RESULT(S): The spermatozoa treated with antisperm antibodies showed significantly higher SAR and IAR responses than the control group. CONCLUSION(S): Some of the antisperm antibodies from individual patients are able to enhance the acrosome reaction in donor sperm, but none of them appeared to inhibit acrosome reaction.

Acrosome Reaction↗
PubMed2001

Why do infertile males use psychological couple counselling?

The purpose of the present study was to identify characteristics of male patients that could be relevant for the uptake of psychological couple counselling for infertility. Therefore, 94 male patients who participated in psychological couple counselling were compared to 134 unselected infertility patients who attended an andrological clinic. Counselling users showed higher scores for depression and anxiety as well as a higher number of impaired sperm parameters. Multivariate analysis revealed that beyond the level of depression the number of impaired sperm parameters delivered additional information about the probability of a patient using counselling. For interpretation of these results the former research was broadly reviewed. It is suggested that an increased level of distress, the feeling of being responsible for infertility and few marital difficulties are relevant for the usage of couple counselling by male infertility patients. Practical consequences are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Theta power in the EEG of humans during ongoing processing in a haptic object recognition task.

Dynamic changes in spectral theta power (TP) in the EEG over frontal regions were reported previously during the processing of visually presented spatial and verbal tasks [Cereb. Cortex, 7 (1997) 374-385]. Lower TP was found at the beginning compared to the end of processing. In order to test another modality, we examined theta power during the exploration of haptic stimuli with different complexity. A linear correlation between theta power and mean exploration time (as a measure of stimulus complexity) was found at the end of exploration but not at its beginning. These data are in line with our hypothesis since one could expect minimal load of working memory independent of stimulus complexity at the beginning of exploration whereas working memory would have integrated the stimuli of differing complexity into a perceptual model at the end of exploration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Assessment of fibronectin as a potential new clinical tool in andrology.

In this prospective clinical study, 892 patients with normal and impaired semen were examined in order to investigate the correlation between the concentration of fibronectin in seminal plasma and the motility of spermatozoa. The fibronectin concentration in seminal plasma, total sperm motility and linear sperm motility were measured. We report here a significant negative correlation between the fibronectin concentration in seminal plasma and total sperm motility (r=-0.3474). There was no link between varicocele and vasectomy, or between varicocele and variation in the concentration of fibronectin. It is concluded that higher concentrations of the acute-phase protein fibronectin may be a cause of severe reduction in sperm motility. The investigation of fibronectin concentrations in seminal fluid could be a new and helpful clinical tool in the assessment of male fertility.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Comparison of normal sperm morphology outcomes from two different computer-assisted semen analysis systems.

By eliminating the human evaluation variable, it was possible to carry out an investigation into the 'true' association between normal sperm morphology outcomes assessed according to the World Health Organization guidelines and strict criteria. Two computer-assisted semen analysis systems were used, IVOS and Mika, to evaluate Diff-Quik and Papanicolaou stained slides. As expected, the mean normal sperm morphology outcomes for the World Health Organization classification evaluations were markedly higher for both the Diff-Quik (mean difference = 40.13%) and the Papanicolaou (mean difference = 32.55%) stained slides. The association between the outcomes were low for the Diff-Quik stained slides (r = 0.379) and poor for the Papanicolaou stained slides (r = 0.110). While the association achieved with the computer-assisted semen analysis systems using Diff-Quik stained slides was comparable to the association between the manual evaluations (r = 0.386), the manual evaluation of Papanicolaou stained slides produced a relatively good association (r = 0.690). Although the numbers were small, the results show the probability of poor class correlations. Approximately 40% of outcomes were incorrectly classed at a 14% (strict criteria) and 50% (World Health Organization guidelines) cut-off point for both staining methods. This study confirms the fundamental differences between the two classification systems. The results also indicate that, of the two stains used, Diff-Quik should be the preferred staining method for computer-assisted sperm morphology evaluations.

Autoanalysis↗
PubMed2001

Haptic perception in anorexia nervosa before and after weight gain.

Haptic perception of patients with anorexia nervosa (n = 10) was analyzed in a longitudinal study (T0-T1). The haptic explorations consisted of palpating the structure of 12 sunken reliefs in sequence with both hands, eyes closed. After each exploration the structure was reproduced on a piece of paper. In the anorexia group, mean exploration time was significantly shorter than in healthy control subjects. However, the reproductions of complex stimuli submitted by the anorexia group were of notably poorer quality than those of the healthy controls. This was also observed after weight gain (T1). The results of the haptic explorations can be interpreted as a cortical dysfunction and deficits in somatosensorical integration processing in patients with anorexia nervosa. This may be due to a disorder of tactual-spatial processing in the right parieto-occipital regions.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Detection of myocardial ischemia by electron beam CT. Experimental studies.

PURPOSE: To determine if contrast-enhanced electron beam CT (EBCT) can detect areas of acute myocardial ischemia, and if pharmacological stress testing improves the diagnostic accuracy of EBCT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We injected 0.5 ml/kg and 1.0 ml/kg b.w. of iopromide at a rate of 4 ml/s into the right atrium of 5 ventilated female minipigs at rest and after occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Both ventricles were examined at six short axis levels with an EBCT unit. Myocardial perfusion was calculated from the time-density curves of four left ventricular myocardial segments and the aorta. We also tested the effect of the contrast agent on myocardial density after i.v. administration of 0.6 mg/kg dipyridamole before and after LAD occlusion. RESULTS: At rest, the contrast agent increased myocardial density by 28+/-2 HU, corresponding to a myocardial perfusion estimate of 67+/-7 ml/min/100 g. After dipyridamole, myocardial density increased by 29+/-4 HU. Following occlusion of the LAD, anteroseptal myocardium displayed 10+/-4 HU density increase. The area of non-enhancement corresponded to ischemic myocardium in stained pathologic sections. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced stress EBCT can be used to detect areas of myocardial ischemia, and EBCT stress perfusion imaging may be necessary to consistently differentiate ischemic from non-ischemic myocardial tissue.

Animals↗